Focus on print vs digital offers little value
Wayne | 16 March 2010
It’s a strange irony, but Sensis’ long history in print products and the strong position of our business can sometimes work against us. Especially when the media is looking for headlines.
Yesterday, a story by Michael Evans in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald reported the challenges he believes Sensis and Yellow Pages® is facing. He claimed we are “battling on several fronts” due to our half-year financial results showing our first-ever revenue decline, the days of print directories being numbered and that a “rampant gorilla” named Google is set to take all before it in the world of online advertising.
Without a deep understanding of the business, the article focused heavily on our print products and shed little light on the value of our multi-channel network.
On a positive note, it did mention the global financial crisis as one factor influencing our half-year financial result. However it stopped well short of explaining our revenue result was achieved in the peak of the global financial crisis, a time when other advertising businesses were experiencing declines as high as 20%.
Our result in the first-half also saw us increase our overall share of the Australian advertising market. This is an achievement that shows in tough times, advertisers stay with us as we continue to deliver them strong value and return on investment.
Through its focus on Yellow Pages® as just a print business, the article glosses over the key role Yellow Pages® has played in Sensis’ evolution as the largest locally-owned online advertising business in Australia. This digital business provides customers with the perfect complement to our successful print directories, as well as exciting opportunities for future growth.
Yellow Pages® print products continue to be a core part of our business and revenue base. But on top of this, we’re creating further value for customers through new and exciting print, online and mobile bundles to extend their reach into the market. These are in addition to initiatives that are already driving extra value such as Yellow Pages® Mobile on iPhone, our SEO program for Yellow Pages® Online content and Yellow Pages® listings being available on Google Mapsi and Bing Maps to name a few.
This strategy is driving value as well as diversifying our revenue base. In three years, the proportion of Sensis’ total revenue from digital products has grown from 18% in 1H07 to almost 33% in 1H10. Digital products are now an integral part our overall network and rather than pose a threat to our print business, they are providing strong growth opportunities.
For example, usage of Yellow Pages® Mobile grew by 89% in the December 2009 quarter compared to the previous year. Similarly, our agreement to have Yellow Pages® listings available on Google Maps is another way we are delivering more value via digital media.
The value Sensis and Yellow Pages® are providing customers and the opportunities for future growth are best highlighted by the 4.6 million people that let their fingers do the walking more than 13 million times a week on averageii. Only now, it’s not just in print, but across a powerful combination of print, online and mobile products.
- iGoogle maps is a trade mark of Google Inc.
- iiRoy Morgan Single Source Australia, 14 years and above, last 7 day average, July 2008-June 2009.
Sorry, but I vehemently disagree! We have been waiting 2
Susie Traynor | 16 March 2010Sorry, but I vehemently disagree! We have been waiting 2 1/2 months just to see our proof for the ipswich Qld yellow Pages. We advised our rep we would NOT be giving the go ahead on the ad, until we had seen a proof, and made any necessary changes – after all, we pay HUGE dollars to advertise our business. We expect to receive a product we are happy with.
We finally received a proof last Friday – and were told at the same time the directory is closed, and we cannot make any changes!
The proof, that took 2 1/2 months to reach us, is INCORRECT!
This is not good enough! See you at the office of fair trading!
There's no denying your situation sounds outside the norm of
Steve Ronchi | 16 March 2010There’s no denying your situation sounds outside the norm of service you would be used to receiving and I’d be keen to review in detail. We strive to allow customers an opportunity to review their ads and make changes as needed, however there are times when our people are working right up to the final days and moments before the directories are printed to ensure ads are included. In some cases, this means there is insufficient time to make further changes to your advertisement.
Our first priority is to ensure people can find you. There are a range of solutions Sensis can put in place to assist you – please send through your advertising details to stephen.ronchi@sensis.com.au and I’ll investigate further.
Was advised that the directory is now closed and gone
anonymous | 18 March 2010Was advised that the directory is now closed and gone to print!
Our ad contains grammatical MISTAKES, and the info we had asked for IS NOT THERE! After 2 1/2 months of asking our rep for an ad proof, we finally get an incorrect final copy – with no ability to make necessary changes from the incorrect info.
This is the worst customer service we have EVER received from any organisation. NOT GOOD ENOUGH!
GOODBYE sensis – hello GOOGLE! Hello office of fair trading~! This is truly unbelievable – we won’t be adverting next year – and we have FIVE friends in small business also advertising in this same directory – ALL of them have a similar story to us.
Susie - I'd really like to see if there's anything
Steve Ronchi | 19 March 2010Susie – I’d really like to see if there’s anything we can do for you. Please send me your details so I can discuss with you. Thanks
Hi! We are another customer who have been waiting to
anon | 19 March 2010Hi! We are another customer who have been waiting to see a proof. We have had nothing but delays and run arounds. Have also only received a proof last week – it is missing an entire line – and spelling and grammar mistakes. We too have been told that it was our final proof – yet it is the first we have received! There is something rotten going on with Yellow Pages and Ipswich Qld!
Anon - if you can provide your contact details, I
Steve Ronchi | 19 March 2010Anon – if you can provide your contact details, I can look into this for you and help in some way. Look forward to your email.
Stephen, sorry but I do NOT trust anyone at Sensis
anon | 23 March 2010Stephen, sorry but I do NOT trust anyone at Sensis Yellow Pages anymore. This is complete incompetence.
No, I do not want to be identified – all i can say is for you to ring the companies advertising (or trying to advertise I should say!)
in this years Ipswich yellow Pages directory. Especially under the pest Control heading. Call some of the full page advertisers, the 1/2 page, and even the smaller ads! We personally know of FIVE small business owners who are DISGUSTED with the way they have been treated this year – specifically in NOT receiving ad proofs/receiving INCORRECT ad proofs/or like us, receiving an ad proof that contains grammatical mistakes, missing information – that makes us look stupid!
No Stephen – we are not alone. This years customer service for us, the small business owner, has been NON EXISTENT!
Stephen, I do not know if you took my suggestion
anon | 31 March 2010Stephen, I do not know if you took my suggestion and rang some of the advertisers struggling with incorrect proofs, or not receiving proofs in time etc – and discovered the monumental stuff ups with our particular directory – but we have suddenly, after being told the directory was absolutely closed, and no corrections could be made (pity the people like us whose ads contained incorrect info, incorrect grammar, missing info altogether etc etc etc) have received a proof with all the elements we had asked for!!
It’s a miracle! But I AM holding my breath until we actually see the printed directory! I won’t believe it till I see it!
If you are responsible for fixing this fiasco, then when the directory is released to the general public, and we see with our won eyes that have received the ad that we signed up for, then THANK YOU!
Well, we received our Ipswich Yellow Pages in the mailbox
anon | 7 April 2010Well, we received our Ipswich Yellow Pages in the mailbox today. It DOES NOT contain our correct advertisement.
The final proof that we were sent from sensis proof support, IS NOT is in the printed in the directory.
The ad in this directory IS NOT what we signed for. No wonder your silence has been deafening!
It contains mistakes, grammar mistakes, and whole lines of information we asked for IS MISSING!
We will be seeing you at the Office of Fair Trading.
ABSOLUTELY DISGUSTED
I would love to hear your response to this video
David Siddall | 15 April 2010I would love to hear your response to this video and then add a further point of discussion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C4cCZ0DHcBQ
In terms of the SEO benefits you get with Yellow Pages, how are they value for money when an SEO company can get a small or medium sized business prominently listed on Google Maps for a much better ROI?
Hello Anon I am currently going through a similiar situation with
Stephanie | 9 May 2011Hello Anon
I am currently going through a similiar situation with Yellow Pages Qld, could you please let me know how you went as the Sensis contract does not incorporate a Yellow Pages staff stuffing up the next 12 months of my advertising strategy.
Thanks!